“What you don’t want to happen is to vote through this particular piece of nonsense because you are not sure what is going to happen," he said.

“Either of the other options is better than the one we have got. Either of the other options is staying in on the one hand, or the clean break.

“Both of those are better than this deal. Whatever happens, it is a win-win situation as long as we kick the deal out.

“It may not be a win-win for Mrs May.”

'Nonsensical'

On Wednesday, the same day that May’s Government lost a motion of contempt of Parliament, an amendment by Conservative MP Dominic Grieve was passed.

The amendment means that if the deal is voted down, the Government must return to the House of Commons within 21 days and “make a statement setting out how Her Majesty’s government proposes to proceed”.

It is likely to give MPs more control over what happens if May’s proposal is rejected.